I wanted to explore the gothic quarter of Barcelona as really – what could be better for a photographer. All that beautiful history and architecture – perfect. We found the Gothic Cathedral right away and really, it was the main reason I wanted to come down and explore here.

I love dramatic architecture – and this had it in spades. I’m going to let the photographs speak for themselves as I had so much fun photographing this incredible building.

Once again we opted to go up some ridiculously old & small elevator and onto the roof of the Cathedral – I mean really I should have learnt my lesson from Sagrada Familia – but this was taking un safe to a whole new level! We were precariously balanced on some scaffolding that really was about the fall at any minute – or at least at the time it really felt like it was. And to add to the already building level of hysteria it was incredibly windy up there – so if we weren’t falling to our death due to the scaffolding we were certainly about to be blown over the side. I couldn’t resist posting the next two photos of my mother to illustrate this point further – sorry Mum! After a very fleeting visit – we slowly side stepped our way back towards the elevator.

We stumbled upon the courtyard (Cloister) and found these adorable white geese that they keep there. I spent far too long naming them and trying to win their trust to obtain the perfect photograph. But to no avail – so these will have to do!

I like to think he was posing for me there – just a little!

We found our way back out onto the beautiful streets of the gothic quarter and continued our adventure! (Until the rain returned!)

Well I’ve been away from blogging for a while & have a lot to catch up on…

Firstly, I popped over to Barcelona for a few days to join my parents as my Dad was at the Mobile World Conference & my mum needed entertaining while he was busy!

While the weather was more than a little hit or miss we did have a glorious first day in the sunshine & started the day with brunch in Park Güell, and naturally, lots of photos!

Park Güell is a series of gardens beautifully designed by Antoni Gaudi. The architecture is breathtaking & expansive, in fact it is one of the largest architectural works in South Europe. It is built into the hill of El Carmel in the Gràcia district, as you climb up it unravels before you, layer by layer.

The world famous ‘El Drac’ – The Dragon greets you as you enter the park.

My lovely Mum relaxing in the sunshine!

Not posing at all… I don’t know what you mean!

Scattered thorough out the arches & passageways you will find some wonderful musicians busking, take a seat & enjoy!

When I said ‘climb up’ I really meant it! Perhaps it’s because i’m 5ft2 or because Gaudi didn’t really ‘do’ precise measurements. You really have to watch your step as they are very rarely at the same height as the one before. If you aren’t particularly fit there are benches on nearly all the levels so you can have a rest and enjoy the views.

Here you can see the benches that my mum & I sat on from a better angle. The cafe is just out of sight on the right, grab a drink and relax, but don’t put your bag on the floor whatever you do. Hold on tight to your camera & other valuables. Barcelona has a serious crime problem & especially during the busy seasons tourists make themselves easy targets by being careless. Look after yourself & your possessions!

My mum, rocking the latest in fashion headwear…

That’s just a few of my many many pictures, it was a gorgeous place to spend the morning & definitely one of the top things to do when visiting Barcelona! It can get crazy busy during the summer months, but we were lucky to be two of only maybe 50 people visiting! It’s free to enter and there are no set times you have to be in and out by, so if you are a keen photographer you can really take your time photographing all the many levels of this beautiful garden!

Living in London you can become quite blasé about just how beautiful this city is. Easily done, but easily fixed. I try to travel all different ways around the city, even if it takes a bit longer than the tube being above ground has some wonderful benefits. You rarely end up with your face in someone else’s arm pit for one!! On the way home yesterday we decided to get the Thames Clipper back to Greenwich instead of the overground. It’s a bit more expensive, and if you suffer from motion sickness like me it can be tricky – but once you get to see London without any obstructions (or traffic!) it’s worth it.

Seriously, I didn’t even edit in big ben’s outline to this – it was just reflected on the window to give a wonderful effect – I didn’t even notice till I was reviewing the images after!

If you tire of admiring the view, why not be an absolute poser like me & admire a beautiful bouquet from a loved one!

The ‘Harry Potter’ bridge, as most people call it! But with no Voldemort in sight it is still wonderfully intact.

There are many tourist boats that you can board from near Big Ben, The London Eye, Embankment Pier, Tower Bridge, but the clipper continues down to Canary Wharf, Greenwich and Woolwich, as it is a primarily a commuter boat. Grab a ticket, head down the dock, put down your iPhone and just enjoy the view! xoxo